Capítulo Seis: O Destino é a Fragmentada Dinastia Ming?!

"Zumbido!"

Just as Jiajing observed his own "lifespan essence" before him, filled with doubt and astonishment, a vast stream of information surged into his mind.

"My lifespan essence is... the Great Ming?!"

At this moment, having received the information conveyed by his essence, Jiajing was shocked beyond measure. At the same time, a host of questions arose within him. First, he did not understand how he had arrived at his own sea of consciousness. According to the "Qi Induction Manual," one could only enter the sea of consciousness and perceive their lifespan essence after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage and possessing spiritual sense. Alternatively, one could use the specialized artifacts found only in great sects; Liu Quan, when he was a rogue cultivator, had once been scanned by such an artifact by chance, allowing him to see his essence before reaching Foundation Establishment, and thus he began honing his essence object while still in the Qi Refining stage.

"But why am I here?" Jiajing frowned, surveying the void and the sandbox before him.

Furthermore, he could not fathom why his lifespan essence was the Great Ming, and why it appeared so shattered and decrepit—as if riddled with a thousand wounds. However, the moment this thought crossed his mind, a sudden realization dawned upon him.

"Is it because of me?"

Looking at that broken dynasty, where black mist billowed, the land was scarred, and the firmament was shrouded in a gray haze, Jiajing’s expression grew somber. In truth, how could he not know the state of the Great Ming? He had always known; since the beginning of his reign, the uprisings in the two Guang regions had never ceased. How could he be blind to them? The reasons for such uprisings had remained the same throughout history. The endurance of the common people was immense; they would only choose to resist when they could no longer see a path forward, could no longer see hope, and had been pushed to the very limit of oppression. They would think, "If I endure, it will pass," until they could endure no more and fought to the death. When the imperial court lost the power to suppress them, the dynasty would eventually be overthrown.

"If the world is in sin, the fault lies with me!" Looking at the suffering Great Ming before him, a flash of pity crossed Jiajing’s eyes. Confronting his lifespan essence, he could feel the hardships of the common people more keenly than ever. This realization was not merely spoken; it was a genuine sentiment from the depths of his heart.

After a long while, having calmed his emotions, Jiajing carefully observed the Great Ming within the sandbox. With a flick of his thought, he focused on a certain location. On a beach, several small boats suddenly appeared. Standing upon them were a group of short men with grotesque hairstyles, gesticulating wildly.

"Wokou!" Jiajing’s eyes turned cold as he saw the aggressive pirates shrouded in monstrous black baleful energy. Looking toward the beach, he saw a group of Great Ming soldiers standing in battle formation, their bodies surrounded by a crimson mist of blood.

Jiajing focused his mind on the leading general, and information about him appeared in his mind. "Qi Jiguang?" Seeing Qi Jiguang, Jiajing felt a slight sense of relief. Under his observation, the cavalry of the Qi Family Army led by Qi Jiguang soon engaged the pirates. It must be said that Qi Jiguang and his army lived up to their reputation; in a single exchange, the pirates were defeated and fled in disarray. The Ming soldiers cheered and celebrated. Seeing this, a smile could not help but touch Jiajing’s face, and he remarked with pride: "Truly, my Great Ming Dragon Cavalry!"

"I recall the manual saying that the lifespan essence can communicate with spiritual sense. Can I then communicate with the Great Ming through it?" With this thought, Jiajing moved his awareness to the Imperial Palace. He instantly found Lu Fang, who was on duty outside the Yuxi Palace, and called out to him in his heart. However, under his observation, Lu Fang remained completely unresponsive.

"Is it not possible?" He tried other targets, but the result was the same. Finally, his consciousness reached the palace and locked onto a chubby tabby cat curled up in a hole, looking up at the snow. Yet, there was still no reaction.

"It seems that although I can enter my sea of consciousness and see my essence, I still need to reach the Foundation Establishment stage and possess spiritual sense to communicate with it." Having failed multiple attempts, Jiajing temporarily set aside the idea.

"Though I do not know why I entered the sea of consciousness before cultivating spiritual sense, that is no longer important. The key is that I can observe everything in the Great Ming at any time through my essence. This alone is enough to let me hold the Great Ming firmly in my grasp; my vision will not be obscured or deceived by anyone!" Jiajing knew that this "God's eye view," if utilized well, would be enough to transform the Great Ming entirely.

"Furthermore..." Jiajing’s eyes shimmered as he looked at the decaying, desolate Great Ming. "My lifespan essence is the entire Great Ming Dynasty. Can my essence object... also be the Great Ming? A cultivator’s essence is determined at birth, but one can seek and hone an external object to provide feedback and achieve mutual reinforcement. Since my essence is the Great Ming, if I treat the real-world Great Ming as my essence object, does that not mean the better the Great Ming becomes, the stronger I become? I am the master of the Great Ming, and I am a part of it. My primordial spirit can bind directly to the essence, treating the entire Great Ming as my essence object!"

Thinking of this, Jiajing’s heart pounded with excitement.

Meanwhile, at the Black Wind Stronghold, the three leaders and their strategist, Liu Quan, gathered together.

"Big Liu, what do you think?" Dugu Ying sat in the main seat, looking at Liu Quan. The other brothers also turned their eyes toward him. Liu Quan understood what they were asking.

"Mysterious origins, extraordinary speech, and a temperament that suggests someone accustomed to luxury, yet distinct from the disciples of sects and clans," Liu Quan said, his tone hesitant. "I suspect Mr. Zhu may not be a native of the 'Antares' star."

Dugu Ying waved his hand. "Whether he is a native does not matter. As long as he is not a spy, what does a mysterious origin matter? Many brothers in the stronghold had a past before becoming outlaws. Are we any different?"

Liu Quan smiled slightly. That was precisely why he had joined the Black Wind Stronghold—he admired the leader's boldness and his policy of using people without suspicion.

"Then I will give the leader a definite answer: this man can be used!"

"Good!" Dugu Ying waved his hand, formally confirming Jiajing’s appointment as an elder during the internal meeting. "The list of sects reported to the Academy must also be revised."

"The master is right; good brothers should not be failed, and bad brothers should not be wasted! Everyone has their use; one must not be biased."

"Is there any issue with a mortal serving as a sect elder in the eyes of the Academy?" Dugu Xiong asked, looking at Liu Quan.

"No, as long as we follow the Academy's rules, they will not interfere with the internal management of sects and clans," Liu Quan shook his head.

"Once the eldest brother reaches the Golden Core stage and establishes the sect, our Black Wind Stronghold can establish a seventh-grade mortal family within the 'Four Directions City.' Then, the mortal families of our brothers can be settled," the third leader, Dugu Han, added.

In the cultivation world of Antares, there was no concept of a unified dynasty. There were only various Confucian academies managing endless territories, overseeing numerous cultivation sects and mortal families. Under a complex, strict, and unique patriarchal system, mortal regimes and immortal sects complemented each other in an orderly fashion. The system dictated that to prevent war between mortal powers, the size of a territory was determined by the family's rank, which in turn was linked to their affiliated immortal sect or the strength of the clan's cultivators.

The nine-grade family system corresponded to the nine realms of cultivation: Nine for Qi Refining, Eight for Foundation Establishment, Seven for Golden Core, Six for Nascent Soul, Five for Spirit Severing, Four for Void Refinement, Three for Integration, and Two for Mahayana. The first-grade family corresponded to the legendary Dispersed Immortals!

If the Black Wind Stronghold established a sect, since the sect leader was at the Golden Core stage, they would become a seventh-grade family.

"Rest assured, I have already sent word," Liu Quan said. "The family register and the candidate for the head of the family have all been drafted; they will be sent to the Academy tomorrow."

"The land reclamation is almost finished, at most half a month more."

"Indeed, our Black Wind Stronghold is about to transform from a mountain stronghold into a cultivation sect. This is the result of all our hard work..."